Pulaski County CDC Director to Meet with Legislators about CAGIT Issue

Pulaski County Community Development Commission Executive Director Nathan Origer will meet with Senator Ed Charbonneau and State Representative Doug Gutwein next week to talk about the CAGIT tax issue.

Origer will talk with the legislators about changing legislature to require that the special CAGIT tax be used to pay the jail lease instead of that money coming from the CEDIT fund as legislation currently reads. Origer argues that the CEDIT fund should be used for economic development projects and not for the jail lease.

Origer mentioned to the commissioners this week that he spoke with a Fort Wayne representative about his idea.

“He was more upbeat about it. He thinks that as long as we are tactful about it we’re not going to touch anything sensitive with the governor or the legislature. He thinks he can pull a significant number of House votes in his favor if he gets behind it,” said Origer.

If the measure passes, he hopes that it would be put into place retroactive to the start of the year or on July 1.